Wednesday, June 16, 2010

It’s a small-ish week but we’ve got plenty of boobs drawn by Eddie Campbell to make up for it. The Playwright is the yellow-est thing in town and a glorious looking thing on the inside too. Campbell (Alec: The Years Have Pants) says “[It’s] the most colourful, sexiest thing likely to ever come from my hand. And if that sentence sounds like one of the Playwright's own double entendres, so let it remain.”

It’s a comedy about the sex life of a celibate middle-aged man written by fellow British ex-pat Daren White who is no stranger to a Campbellian collaboration (see weird Elseworlds book Batman: The Order of Beasts). The character first appeared in White’s own anthology series DeeVee, in a – if I remember rightly – two or three pager black and white story. The new book is fully painted in the brightest of bright colours which somehow makes the Marks-&-Spencers-underpants-Englishness of it all the more funny. The whole thing is so cringeingly English it could only have been deliberate and “aimed to exaggerate the stuffy, self conscious embarrassment that underpins a certain type of Englishman,” says White.

Comicbook Resources have an interview with the both of ‘em and a preview of the first chapter. Campbell was putting up bits and pieces as he worked on his now somewhat defunct blog; they’re still there if you know where to look. As books go I’ve seen bigger: This is an object of joy and misery you can fit in the palm of your hand. Highly recommended. And rude.

As for the rest of the week’s swag there’s considerably less onanism about. But there are plenty of lovely young ladies in the new Rian Hughes edited Lifestyle Illustration of the 60s. Just saying.

We’ve got Neil Young’sGreendale, his critically acclaimed album from 2003 adapted into a graphic novel by Joshua Dysart (Unknown Soldier) and Cliff Chiang (Human Target). The ten song rock opera had themes of environmentalism and corruption running through it, all seen through the eyes of Green family and other folk in the seaside town. But Dysart isn’t merely trudging over the same ground as Young.

“There’s a lot of mysticism, a lot of magic in the Green female line that hadn’t really made itself known on the album. And Karen [Berger] and I both figured, this is Vertigo and Vertigo has a strong tradition of using magic as a narrative device. Why not go in that direction?”Newsarama have an interview and over at CbR there’s already a review kicking about. Preview pages and a chunk more interview over here too.

Grant Morrison’s Seven Soldiers of Victory is collected in hardcover for the first time. Never read it before? It’s about “…grass-roots super-people,”saidMorrison, “- the ones who don't have amazing cars or secret headquarters, really, so the whole thing explores what it would actually be like to be a C-list hero on the margins, in a world where Superman and the Green Lantern get all the attention. Our characters are puritan Goths, freaks, monsters, losers and wannabes all clamouring for a place in the spotlight.”

Each mini-series (of which there were seven, y’see) focuses on a different character but everything interweaves and connects in the end because it’s Morrison at the helm. In this book you’ll get The Guardian, Klarion, Zatanna and The Shining Knight but for the other soldiers you’ll have to wait for collection number two. J.H. Williams III, Cameron Stewart, Frazer Irving, Simone Bianchi, Ryan Sook and Mick Gray provide the art.

Criminal: The Sinners TP hits the shelves this Thursday in which Brubaker brings back his favourite character, Special Forces soldier Tracy Lawless who you might remember from such Criminal books as Lawless (it’s on the shelf; we can hook you up with one if you’re lacking). That said, everything you need to know about the guy is contained in the first issue of The Sinners, weaved into the narrative rather than a Previously, on… scenario. Which is nice.

We’re always foisting Criminal books on people here at Gosh! because we like ‘em so much so if you’ve yet to read one we can’t understand what’s keeping you. As ever it’s illustrated by the ridiculously talented Mr Sean Phillips (of Incognito and owner of Gosh! approved hairstyle) whose artwork you can see alongside this interview with Brubaker from way back in 2009.

There’s a new Hellblazer trade out too. Hooked collects the second arc of Peter Milligan’s (Greek Street) run on the series in which Constantine goes to great and ridiculous lengths to get back the girl after she dumps him, as you do. Here’s a review of the first issue in the book. Shape-shifting demons and love potions abound.

If you’re after a spot of ultra-violence this week you can’t go wrong with Jason Aaron’s (Scalped) PunisherMAX HC Kingpin illustrated by Steve Dillon (Punisher: Welcome Back Frank) in which Aaron mixes some regular Marvel characters into the soup. Wilson Fisk isn’t the Kingpin yet but have you ever wondered how the Punisher helped him get that way? Aaron talks to CbR here.

As for your regular floppy comics we’ve got New Avengers #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen whose Moving Pictures graphic novel from last week is well worth a look. New Avengers #1 ties into the whole Heroic Age thing and you can preview it here. Amazing Spider-Man Presents Black Cat #1 (of 4) is something you’ll want to pick up if you’re following regular Amazing Spider-Man because it’s knee-deep in Grim Hunt. For the full run-down on that you can poke your nose in at IGN, but if you just want a preview of this week’s thing with artwork by the fantastic Javier Pulidohere you go.

And finally, the McCloonan jam print is going great guns so if you’re still after a copy speak now or forever hold your peace. Only available here at Gosh! Now! Limited time! Etc etc! While we’re talking Gosh! exclusives we’ve got more exciting Bookplate Edition news in the post (quite literally in the post) so keep an eye on the blog. One of them might just be by the very excellent and very tall Sarah McIntyre who drew yours truly earlier this week. I’ll keep you in the loop. It’s my job after all.